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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27336043">Sailor V: The Future's Gift</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EloquentOrNot/pseuds/EloquentOrNot'>EloquentOrNot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sailor V in the MCU [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime &amp; Manga), Code Name: Sailor V, Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(Artemis is just a normal non-verbal feline), Alternate Universe, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:13:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,077</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27336043</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EloquentOrNot/pseuds/EloquentOrNot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Sailor V and the Avengers.</p><p>Life in New York settled down a while after the battle, but everything changed with an unexpected new arrival...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sailor V in the MCU [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1915246</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Vague Warning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a long day, even after the battle was over. Sailor V had done everything she could to help so far, and was really only going home for the night because she needed to feed her cat, not that she would tell anyone that. She made certain no-one was nearby as she transformed back, close enough to her apartment building to walk but not too close.</p><p>Mina locked the door behind her, but then noticed a strange blue glow coming from her kitchen doorway. She crept towards the light, but realised after a couple of steps that any intruder would almost certainly have heard her coming in, so she switched on the lights anyway, walking confidently into the room.</p><p>She froze in shock at the doorway. Standing in the middle of her kitchen, wearing a smart black suit, was Loki, the Tesseract gleaming in his hand.</p><p>"Good evening, Guardian." He said, with a friendly yet smug smile. "If you're wondering how I discovered your secret... Well, let's just say the Tesseract works equally well as both a door and a window. I saw your change, and thus I am no longer affected by your... admittedly quite impressive perception filter."</p><p>Mina couldn't respond. Part of her refused to believe this was happening, that her carefully kept secret identity was being torn to shreds right in front of her eyes. She stared mutely, as Loki continued.</p><p>"However, your transformation was not the only point of intrigue I witnessed this evening, just here in this single city, on this tiny world..."</p><p>Green flames flickered from his free hand, merging with blue mist from the Tesseract, the resulting cyan light flowing through the air and filling the room. The tiny kitchen seemed to fall away, replaced by an endless black void, filled with countless glowing clusters of colour and light. The darkness went on forever, but the light filled it completely, a thousand swirling rainbows twisting like the branching, intermingled root system of an ancient forest.</p><p>"We have not moved." Loki explained solemnly. "This is merely a projection, a visualisation, of the sheer magnitude of what the Tesseract offers me."</p><p>In the closer patches of colour, Mina could see that they were made up of countless tiny points of light. She wondered if they were meant to be stars.</p><p>"Each white spot you see represents a galaxy, each filled with billions of stars and planets. This is space, this is the universe. This is how far I can go, with the Tesseract." He spoke entirely seriously, and Mina found that she believed every word.</p><p>Still entirely overwhelmed, she somehow found her voice. "Then... why stay here?"</p><p>Loki laughed. "Why indeed? Why am I not racing ahead, eager to see, to consume it all? Has this glimpse of true infinity humbled me, perhaps? Or rather, have I gained from it a new perspective, understanding now what my brother sees in these tiny mortals, given how little difference there truly is between us, in the grand scheme of things?" He took a step towards her. "Or perhaps, I decided to take one last glance at the events unfolding on this tiny, insignificant world, and found that I could not abandon such a fascinating tale just yet? But I wonder, will you listen to me? After all I have done, would you accept my warning?"</p><p>"I..." Mina hesitated for a moment, not sure what to say. "I think... I want to know why you did it. Why did you try to take over this planet?" She wasn't sure why she had felt the need to ask, and Loki was silent for a moment before answering.</p><p>"You know, I actually wondered that myself, multiple times. It was only thanks to you that I finally realised, at that last, pivotal moment." He spoke softly, and it took Mina a moment to understand what he was really saying.</p><p>"You mean-?"</p><p>He nodded. "The sceptre influenced my mind and my decisions, just as it did to you. The one who handed it to me instructed me to bring him the Tesseract, by any means necessary, and I was convinced that the invasion was my idea."</p><p>"But, who...?"</p><p>Loki sighed, and gestured to his projection of the universe. "Look around you, Guardian of Earth. You see all of this? This unquantifiable amount of light, of life. More joys and sorrows than you or I could ever hope to comprehend. Every living being in existence. For each tiny speck of light, a billion worlds, each with a trillion life-forms, at minimum! The true number can never be known. And there is one man, one monster, seated on his cold throne, in the darkest region of space, who would see that number <em>halved</em>."</p><p>Mina gasped, but Loki continued.</p><p>"His name is Thanos, and I can promise you now, you need not concern yourself about him. He requires the Tesseract for his goals, and now that he has lost his means of controlling me, I shall keep it forever out of his grasp. He may pursue me, but he will never find me. No, the warning I came to give you was of something much smaller, much closer to home for you." As he said this, he took another step towards her and dismissed the projection, the small kitchen coming back into view. "As I mentioned before, there has been a great deal of activity in this city since my departure today. I have been watching some seemingly unimportant--" </p><p>But he was cut off by a loud meow, as a small, elegant white feline trotted into the room and stared expectantly at Mina.</p><p>"Oh, Artemis!" Seeing her beloved pet seemed to snap Mina out of her shock. She reached down and picked him up. "Sorry I'm so late back today! I'll get you dinner, right now!" But then, she looked back at Loki. He was frozen mid-sentence, staring with abject horror at her.</p><p>"What are you doing with that thing?" He whispered, and she realised he was staring at Artemis.</p><p>"What? Loki, what's wrong?" She was now beyond confused. "This is just Artemis. He's my pet cat." As she spoke, Artemis struggled in her arms and dropped to the floor, taking a few steps towards Loki, who quickly scrambled backwards until his back was flat against the far wall of the kitchen.</p><p>"That's not a cat." He said, as Artemis sat staring at him silently. "That's a flerken."</p><p>"...What?? What are you talking about??"</p><p>"It's an alien, a monster." He spoke hurriedly, and Mina could barely hear what he was saying. "It could devour you in a second!"</p><p>Artemis trilled innocently.</p><p>"You have to listen to me! Get away from it!"</p><p>Mina frowned. "Loki, if this is what you wanted to warn me about, then I think you're mistaken. Artemis definitely isn't an alien, and even if he were, he's been my pet, my closest friend, for long enough that I'd trust him not to eat me. He's the only one who knows I'm Sailor V... Well, besides you, now..."</p><p>Artemis stretched out his paws, moving slightly closer to Loki, who was now clearly panicking.</p><p>"Very well then, I vow never to reveal any of your secrets so long as you keep that thing away from me!" He squeaked, not waiting for her reply before teleporting away with the Tesseract.</p><p>"...Uhh?? Okay???"</p>
<hr/><p>A while later, Mina sat silently, deep in thought as she ate her dinner. She glanced down at her cat. As usual, Artemis had not finished his own dinner, but was waiting patiently for the leftover scraps of hers.</p><p>"Hey, Artemis... If you were an alien, you would tell me, right? You know I wouldn't kick you out for it. After all, I'm not technically human..." She felt silly saying it out loud, but watched her cat's reaction carefully.</p><p>He continued staring, his entire focus on the small chunk of meat on the fork she was holding.</p><p>She shook her head and giggled. "Ah, what am I thinking? Of course you're not... Loki must have been mistaken..." She grinned, deciding to look on the bright side. "Well, whatever the reason is, he promised to keep my identity a secret because of you, so... good kitty!" She tossed a small scrap of meat over his head, laughing out loud as he scrambled to catch it.</p><p>She decided not to tell the Avengers about what had happened that evening.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Fiery First Impression!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been just over a month since the invasion, and life in the city was more or less back to normal. There was still some background sense that nothing could ever really be the same again, buildings were still being repaired, but the streets were as busy as ever, filled with people and vehicles going about their daily business.</p><p>One person walking through the crowded streets with a purpose was Mina Aino. She had just been wandering and window-shopping, but had then noticed someone following her. It was a small, teenage girl, with dull grey eyes and black hair. Her clothes were dark and plain, combined with her pale skin she seemed entirely devoid of colour - except for the thin ribbon tying back her hair; the material was bright green on one side and vivid blue on the other. She blended effortlessly into the crowd, yet stood out distinctly once noticed. Mina knew the strange child was following her, and wanted to know why. She walked calmly, moving further from the crowded streets and into a totally empty alleyway, a thin strip of ground between two enormous buildings.</p><p>Knowing they were alone, Mina turned to face the girl, both of them staring silently for a moment.</p><p>"...Can I help you?" Mina asked carefully, not sure what else to say.</p><p>"Yes... Transform." The girl said, quietly yet clearly.</p><p>"Huh?" Mina had no idea what to say to that. How could this stranger know...?</p><p>The girl frowned. "You know... Like this." She said, before reaching up to pull out her blue-and-green ribbon, which instantly burst into flame as her hair dropped to knee length. In less than a second, the fire engulfed her body, and she transformed! The girl standing before Mina now wore a short dress, the same as Sailor V's except that the skirt and collar were dark red, the bows were grey-purple, and the orb on the front bow was dull red. She wore plain dark red high heel shoes and white gloves, and her grey eyes now also held a slight purple hue. Across her forehead was a bronze coloured tiara, holding a dulled red gem in the shape of Sailor V's crescent at its centre!</p><p>"Your turn." She said simply.</p><p>"I- Wha...?" Mina was stunned. How could this be...?</p><p>The dark Sailor V growled. "Transform... or DIE!" She sent a barrage of fireballs towards Mina with a flick of her wrist, and Mina quickly reacted, becoming Sailor V just in time to raise her shield. The fiery projectiles smashed against the wall of light, exploding into a cloud of smoke. Her mysterious attacker took advantage of the cover, leaping over the single-direction shield and hurling another fireball straight down at her!</p><p>Sailor V was sent flying by the explosion, but quickly recovered. "Who are you? What are you doing?"</p><p>The stranger stopped for a moment and laughed. "That should really be easy for you to work out, wouldn't you say? But since you asked... I am Sailor V, Guardian of Mars! But you can call me Sailor Mars, since you're the Sailor V of right now..."</p><p>Sailor V gasped. "You're from the future!"</p><p>Sailor Mars nodded. "That's right! The man you met five years ago is my father, and although it's been many more years than that for us... The project was eventually a success, as you can see."</p><p>"But then, why are you attacking me now?"</p><p>Sailor Mars glared, clenching her fists. "Because I <em>despise</em> you. I can't stand you, and even worse than that, I can't even explain to you why!" She launched another fireball, and Sailor V leapt back.</p><p>"But why? Why can't you explain what you're so upset about?"</p><p>Sailor Mars screamed. "Isn't it OBVIOUS?! I'm from the <em>future</em>. Meaning I already know what you have yet to find out! I so wish I could tell you all the ways you're so <em>stupid</em> right now, but if I do that the timeline could break, so I <em>physically can't!</em> So I'll settle for taking out my frustrations on you, instead! And another thing! Why do all the languages of this time take so long to say anything meaningfully!?" She began ranting rapidly in a language Sailor V couldn't understand, all the while attacking. Faster and faster she threw the fireballs, all colliding harmlessly against Sailor V's shield. Eventually she stopped, clearly out of breath.</p><p>"Hey..." Sailor V lowered her shield, not sure what to say. "...Do you think maybe you should calm down, now?"</p><p>Sailor Mars looked up at her, eyes sparkling with rage. "Who... says... I'm... done?" She hissed, before screaming and charging at Sailor V, only to slow to almost a complete stop by the time she reached her. Glowing red briefly, she transformed back to her dark grey outfit, collapsing into Sailor V's arms.</p><p>"Whoa, hey!" She held the girl steady. "Are you okay?"</p><p>She was crying. "I'm... sorry... I should have come... peacefully, today, but... I just got so jealous..."</p><p>Sailor V was now possibly even more baffled than before, at this sudden shift in tone. "Uh... It's okay, I'm fine. But are you okay? And what's your name, by the way?"</p><p>"R-Rei..." She sniffed. "My name is Rei... and I'm... okay..." But as she said this, she fell unconscious.</p><p>Sailor V told herself to stay calm, as she held the unconscious 14-year-old in her arms. She wasn't sure what to do, but created a floating platform of magic, like one of her shields. She laid Rei on the makeshift bed, and noticed that she seemed somewhat heavier once held up by magic alone... A thin line of golden light streamed from the platform into a faint red crescent on the girl's forehead.</p><p>"Is she absorbing the magical energy?" Sailor V wondered, as the girl began to wake.</p><p>The stream of light stopped as Rei sat up. "Thank you." She said, weakly. "I know I don't deserve your help, after the way I acted before. I wish I could help you, and give you advice from the future. But that isn't possible. It's not just against the rules, I truly cannot, no matter how hard I try, there are some pieces of information I just can't tell you. But that will work in your favour, as well. Since your identity is still a secret at this time, I will not be able to let anyone know who does not already know. So, your secret is safe with me, Sailor V."</p><p>"So, why are you here?" Sailor V asked, after a moment.</p><p>"To be honest, I'm not completely sure. All I know is, in the historic records, there was a new Sailor with fire powers in New York at this time. Most of what I'm supposed to do is unknown, so all I really have to do is be on the same side as you and the Avengers in any conflicts."</p><p>"...What?"</p><p>"It's like how my father chose to take the sample from you on your first day. He didn't really choose, he just found evidence that his dragon android was seen fighting you on that day. It's actually quite ironic and annoying, being time travellers. When the technology was invented, people must have been excited to explore the past and future. But it turned out that time travellers are incapable of changing anything, and instead have the responsibility of fulfilling any paradoxical loops and self-fulfilling prophecies we find in history. I'm only here because I was always going to have been here. I'm not sure when I'll leave, either."</p><p>Sailor V felt dizzy. "I... kind of understand?"</p><p>Rei smirked. "Don't worry about it. Oh, there was one more thing I think I remember. I might be living in the Avengers Tower, soon. I'll need to be introduced to them, anyway, so..."</p><p>"...So I'll take you there now and you can explain all that again?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Freely Given</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the long wait, I've been quite busy lately. I will continue to update this series, even if I can't be as regular as I would have liked.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Yeah, I get it. Makes sense, really."</p>
<p>"What? Tony, I know you're a genius, but there's no way you followed all that?" Clint shook his head in disbelief. When Sailor V had called ahead saying she had something she needed to tell all of the Avengers about, he hadn't been sure what to expect. He certainly hadn't been expecting to hear anything from the Martian time travellers again! They were all seated around a table in the tower's penthouse.</p>
<p>"So, the way she explained it was a little all over the place, but basically it sounds like: time travel is real, there's only one timeline, history can't be changed, and as a result, if you travel backwards in time, you lose some free will so the universe doesn't break," Tony explained. "Is that about it?"</p>
<p>"Yes, that's it, exactly!" Rei confirmed. "So don't try to ask me anything twice, if I tell you the first time that I can't say anything about it!"</p>
<p>"That sounds... disturbing," Bruce said. "You lose your free will? If the timeline is that rigid, wouldn't it make more sense for time travel to just not be possible in the first place?"</p>
<p>"I had wondered about that myself for a while, but it seems that the stable time loops, such as my being here now, have also always existed, and so time travel itself must exist."</p>
<p>"But would that not also mean that we have no freedom of choice?" Thor asked, frowning. "If all things are predestined so completely..."</p>
<p>Rei shook her head. "You misunderstand. The reason I, as a time traveller in the past relative to my own time, have limitations on what I can do, is in order to preserve your own freedom. It is only right that, as someone who does not naturally belong in this time, I should have to give up something to be here. There is no way I can possibly influence you, neither to change nor to ensure the future I know to be true. You are all completely free from this effect. Do you understand what I'm saying?"</p>
<p>"It sounds pretty convenient," Natasha said. "Almost reassuring, in a way. If it's not even possible for you to change history, I guess you don't have to worry about being careful?"</p>
<p>"Precisely."</p>
<p>"Well, there is one thing you're telling us, just by being here..." Steve said. "There <em>is</em> a future. I'm guessing we can't ask when exactly you're from, but..."</p>
<p>"We make it to Mars. We figure out magic, time travel..." Tony trailed off as the implications began to sink in.</p>
<p>"Not to ruin the mood, but how do we know this is true?" Clint asked. "You say you're from the future, but it sounds like you'll also say you can't tell us anything that only someone from the future would know to prove it?"</p>
<p>Rei nodded. "Yes, it all does sound a little bit convenient, doesn't it? But it's actually even more convenient than that... I can tell you one thing you wouldn't know otherwise, and it's only because I know that it's something I was always going to have told you! Just like I mentioned, I have to fulfil this time loop... JARVIS, please make sure you record what I'm about to say, and never show the recording to anyone, ever. I had to memorise my exact wording from the historical record, but the fact itself that I'm going to tell you is accurate."</p>
<p>"Sir?" The AI responded, unsure whether to take orders from the newcomer.</p>
<p>"Keep the recording like she said, JARVIS." Tony nodded.</p>
<p>Rei took a deep breath, and turned to face Steve. "Please remember what I said. Don't blame me for the other parts of this story that I can't tell you. But I can tell you this, and only this: Bucky survived. He's still out there, and he's in a lot of trouble. Today's the day you start the search for him, but it has to be top secret. Don't ever tell anyone outside of this room, don't even tell Nick Fury; I mean it, and don't ask me why. There. It's done."</p>
<p>The room was silent. Steve stared in disbelief, and the Avengers who knew enough of his story glanced at him in concern. Thor was confused, but he could clearly tell this was something serious.</p>
<p>Rei looked down. "I'm sorry. I can't say any more than that, really. I wish I could, but I can't."</p>
<p>"Bucky?" Sailor V muttered. "Isn't that..."</p>
<p>"My best friend, James Buchanan Barnes," Steve confirmed. "He died, a long time ago. But now I'm supposed to go looking for him?"</p>
<p>"I can help with that," Natasha offered. "Not sure how long we can keep Fury from finding out, though."</p>
<p>"You know, this doesn't actually prove anything," Bruce pointed out. "We have to go out looking for the evidence, while you stay here with the benefit of the doubt?"</p>
<p>"I know it's not ideal, but this is just what always has to happen..." Rei said, uncertainly. "I think I'll be staying in this tower, but I don't know for sure... Because it's ultimately your choice, to believe me or not."</p>
<p>Steve frowned, thinking for several seconds, then faced Rei directly. "You get one month. If I can't find a trace of him by then, you're a liar and you're out."</p>
<p>She nodded calmly. "Thank you, Captain."</p>
<p>"Well, okay this is still technically <em>my</em> house." Tony drew everyone's attention. "So, I'll get one of the spare rooms ready."</p>
<p>Rei giggled. "Thank you as well, Tony Stark."</p><hr/>
<p>Everything seemed to be going well. Captain Rogers was discussing plans with the two SHIELD agents for looking for his friend, and Tony Stark was showing Rei around the living space of Avengers Tower. Sailor V hadn't really been to the tower very much in the past month, and was now feeling a little awkward. She stood by a large window, considering leaving quietly, but then Thor approached her.</p>
<p>"Sailor V, what do you make of all this?"</p>
<p>"Well, I know it sounds strange, but I believe her. When I first saw her, she demonstrated powers far too similar to my own for it to be a coincidence. And her story lines up with what her father told me, when I met him..." She didn't want to say too much. "I guess, she doesn't seem to be lying. Who would go to the lengths of making up something as crazy as that, anyway?"</p>
<p>"I see..." Thor was silent for a moment. "Sailor V, there is something else I would like to discuss, if you are willing? Do you recall what I asked you, when you were..."</p>
<p>After a moment, she remembered. "Oh, of course! I never did give you an answer, did I... So, you want to know how I came to be the Guardian of Earth?"</p>
<p>So, they discussed her past, what had happened to the planet Venus and how she had been trained in dreams by a mental copy of her mother. She was careful not to mention anything that could identify her, but she made no secret of the fact that she had a secret identity. Thor fully understood why she wanted to keep it that way.</p>
<p>"Your situation here is far more precarious than it would have been on Venus," he nodded. "As a princess, you would have had the protection of your royal status. It is truly admirable that, although you hold no such position of authority here, you still serve and protect this world as you would have for your true home."</p>
<p>She shook her head. "No, Thor, this is my true home. I may have been born on Venus, but Earth is where I've lived my entire life. And I'm glad I don't have to be a famous princess all the time!"</p>
<p>"One's true home..." Thor mused. "Loki..."</p>
<p>"What about Loki?" Sailor V asked.</p>
<p>"I am not sure how much I should say," he replied. "But, it was only about a year ago we discovered it, just before he... disappeared. Loki was adopted. Our parents were the only ones who knew, that he is actually a-" He looked up, as if remembering where he was. "I apologise, Sailor V. There is no reason to burden you with my thoughts. It's just that, what you said just now... It reminded me of how, despite his... heritage, I still see Loki as my brother..."</p>
<p>Dull clouds began to gather outside the window, and a light rain fell.</p>
<p>"You know..." Sailor V wasn't sure how much to say, either. She summoned her sceptre, shining with a soft, golden light in her hands. "Before I was able to purify this, it was... like ice, and darkness, and... It was unstoppable. The sharpest blade, and the most enormous, overwhelming glacier... It took my mother's sacrifice to save it. She's gone, now. Normal dreams are so weird..." She shook her head. "The point is, I don't think... I mean, I don't know if Loki would have been able to withstand it, either... I'm not sure if anyone could have..."</p>
<p>Thor stared thoughtfully at the sceptre. There was something truly majestic there. Certainly, it was warm now, but for such a power to be turned to darkness... What had really happened to his brother, over the past year?</p>
<p>"And, don't you think it was strange how Loki gave me the sceptre? I think I remember him saying something about wanting to use the Tesseract instead to fight Captain Marvel, but maybe he was just trying to distance himself from it! If it hadn't been for my mother's consciousness fighting it from within, I would never have been able to escape that power while I was holding it."</p>
<p>The rain passed as Thor gazed out of the window. "Then, Loki... may not be lost as I had feared? That pulse of healing light you unleashed, could it also have cured his madness?"</p>
<p>Sailor V smiled slightly down at the sceptre, and could have sworn she felt someone smiling back. "I like to think it did," she replied.</p>
<p>"What are you <em>doing?!</em>" Rei screeched. "Put that thing away!"</p>
<p>"What?" Sailor V turned around to see Rei standing several feet away, glaring at her.</p>
<p>"Did you not hear me? You... ugh! I can't explain why, <em>of course</em>, but you <em>really</em> need to be very careful with when you get that sceptre out!"</p>
<p>"Uh... Okay?" Sailor V returned the sceptre to her storage. "Sorry to upset you?"</p>
<p>Rei sneered. "Nice try, but don't say that again. You have no idea how much... No, it's not your fault you don't know any better."</p>
<p>An awkward silence filled the room for several seconds. Sailor V decided to try changing the topic.</p>
<p>"Rei, I just noticed, you're not wearing your ribbon now?"</p>
<p>"You mean the one that I burned?" she replied dryly.</p>
<p>"Oh... Was that permanent?" Sailor V asked awkwardly. "I thought that was just part of your transformation..."</p>
<p>"It was." Rei glared. "I'll need to replace it. I always have to burn something as fuel to access my powers, unlike you of course."</p>
<p>"What? Why-"</p>
<p>"DON'T ask. Don't even try to speculate, and <em>don't ask me why I can't tell you</em>." Rei was fuming, now.</p>
<p>Sailor V didn't know what to say. She knew that anything she said would probably only make things worse.</p>
<p>Rei turned away. "I'm sorry, this is... Look, living with the Avengers and knowing things will be one thing, but you, Sailor V... I really would recommend that you try to minimise the time you spend in contact with me. It will make things easier..." She clenched her fist, and started running towards the elevator. "I'm sorry, everyone. I need some time on my own, so I'm leaving for one hour. Please don't come looking for me before the end of that time!"</p>
<p>The doors closed behind her, but the elevator didn't start moving immediately.</p>
<p>"You should probably let her go," Clint said. "Kids that age need some alone time."</p>
<p>Tony nodded, and asked JARVIS to start a timer for one hour.</p>
<p>Sailor V left soon after that. There wasn't anything more to discuss, and she didn't want to make Rei uncomfortable, even if she couldn't understand what was wrong.</p><hr/>
<p>Rei stood alone in a dark alleyway, leaning against the cold, damp wall. She sighed despairingly.</p>
<p>"Do they think this is easy for me?" She chose to speak in English even though she was alone. It was a less efficient language than her own, but she would need the practice. "Sure, I don't have any choice. But I still feel the weight of what I never say. Even if I reach the point where I would snap and say all of the secrets, I can't, though. I'll just keep being stretched, knowing so much about them that could help, never able to do anything about it. I hate being a time traveller.</p>
<p>"Still, at least while I'm alone I can say anything. Even though the one I really want to say this to is Mina Aino..." She closed her eyes, taking a step forward. "You want to know what's wrong with me? Why I'm so much weaker than I'm supposed to be? You want to know what went wrong when I got these powers from the sample my father gathered from your attack? Well, it wasn't his fault, at all. It was yours, you selfish fool! My father's calculations relied upon the assumption that you would unleash your maximum possible full power into that beam! But what we got wasn't even half of what was expected! And I know why. It's not that you were holding back. It's that ridiculous mask of yours! You think it's <em>only a fraction</em> of your potential, sacrificed every time you force the entire world to stop paying attention whenever you transform? Well, I suppose <em>two-thirds</em> is definitely a <em>fraction!</em> That's why I hate you! Until you let go of your stupid secret identity, you're wasting so much magic! You could be so much stronger! But you don't know that. It's not really your fault, is it? I just wish I could tell you!" She sighed, leaning back against the wall again. "Well, at least I know for sure that no-one heard that. After all, if someone had been listening to me just now, I would have been prevented from saying most of that, even if I didn't know that they were there.</p>
<p>"Funnily enough, though... I almost wish someone had been listening somehow. Because, if I was able to say all of that in someone's hearing, then that person would be... I would probably be able to say anything to someone like that. It would have to be the perfect secret keeper, someone I could really trust to make the best decisions. If there was someone like that, I think I would tell them everything I could, no matter who they are. It would make things so much easier for me, not having to carry <em>all of these secrets</em> alone..."</p>
<p>Several seconds passed in silence.</p>
<p>Then, the part of the wall she was leaning on seemed to shine with blue light. A glowing circle of darkness opened behind her, misty clouds billowing all around as she fell backwards.</p>
<p>And just for a moment, as she was taken through the portal, Rei <em>smiled</em>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Progress</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"He'd have to be, what, 95 by now?" Clint said. "I'm just saying, you might not want to get your hopes up too much, Cap."</p>
<p>"If what Rei said is true, then I have to find him," Steve retorted. "No-one ever found the body, so it's possible..."</p>
<p>"He was experimented on by HYDRA, right?" Natasha pointed out. "That could help explain how he might have survived the fall..."</p>
<p>Steve's face turned dark at the mention of HYDRA. "After a fall like that, though... in those temperatures..."</p>
<p>"He probably still couldn't have survived alone. Someone must have found him. The question is, who?" Natasha wondered.</p><hr/>
<p>Mina lay back on her sofa, Artemis sleeping peacefully beside her.</p>
<p>"I wish I could help Captain Rogers find his friend, but if Rei really doesn't want me at the tower... Maybe I could try to find out more about him, even if it's just a visit to the museum next weekend?"</p><hr/>
<p>"It's still bugging me," Bruce said. "Why would time travel work like that? She almost makes it sound like there's some pedantic cosmic force, allowing time travel but directly controlling the travellers..."</p>
<p>"Thor, you know more about the cosmic stuff," Tony remarked. "Have you ever heard of something like that?"</p>
<p>He frowned. "No. My understanding of fate has always been that any events foretold must come to pass, but that the details may unfold in any number of ways... A direct attempt to thwart a prophecy can be what ultimately fulfils it, if need be. Events unfold as they should, regardless of the smaller details. Yet, perhaps the rules may need to be stricter for a living person displaced in time; after all, most prophecies are vague at best, nowhere near a full knowledge of future history..."</p>
<p>"So, maybe if she changed things she wasn't supposed to, the timeline would still look the same for the most part, but it would be different enough that her own life in the future would be changed?" Tony theorised.</p>
<p>"That could be..." Bruce shook his head. He still had doubts, but he didn't need to worry about it now. "Anyway, Jane Foster and Dr. Selvig are still coming tomorrow, right Thor?"</p>
<p>"Yes, to assist with your device for locating the Tesseract, I believe?" Thor smiled. "It will be wonderful to see them again."</p><hr/>
<p>The girl had returned to the tower well within the hour she had promised. In that time, she had told Loki many things. He watched, as events began to unfold, and he understood that he was limited in how he could intervene. He knew who the Winter Soldier was. He knew of the Dark Elves, and of his sister, and what grief they would bring. He knew how he would die, and so much more of a future so strange yet bleak. He knew what he would do next. They had no choice, after all.</p><hr/>
<p>A few days later, Bruce Banner finally had a working Tesseract detector. Any trace of the cube on or near the planet would, in theory, be impossible to miss. If Loki was up to something nearby, they would know.</p>
<p>By that point, however, enough had been done. For now, Loki was content to watch, and the consistently faint traces of his one-way viewing portals blended neatly into the background noise, ignored by the specially designed sensors.</p>
<p>Rei began to relax and enjoy life in the tower. Mina Aino never came to visit, and the Avengers were as welcoming as could be expected, under the circumstances. Tony Stark had even given her some small capsules of efficient fuel to use whenever she needed to transform. None of them had gone on any missions so far since her arrival, but she joined in during some training sessions, and Stark had even begun working on a suit designed to withstand the strange effects of her type of magic. He was glad to have her around for research on the topic, even if there were a few questions she wouldn't answer. She just managed to imply, one time, that there would come a day when this era's Sailor V would be willing to work with him and all of the Avengers, more or less full-time.</p>
<p>A young agent of HYDRA had been quite surprised at the identity of the informant he had been contacted by, but had dutifully relayed to his superiors both the fact that Captain Rogers was now looking for Sergeant Barnes, and the informant's somewhat counter-intuitive advice regarding the use of a certain asset...</p><hr/>
<p>The two spies were discussing their strategies.</p>
<p>"As soon as Fury finds out, we tell him everything," she said.</p>
<p>"Agreed." He didn't need her to explain, as he had reached the same conclusion, but she did anyway.</p>
<p>"I know Rei said we shouldn't, but she also said that she was reciting from memory at the time, and that nothing she does can influence our freedom of choice."</p>
<p>"So we keep it from him, but not at all costs. Just as long as we can, and then he's in on it, and no-one else. He'll understand."</p><hr/>
<p>Restricted by the need for utmost secrecy, their search had yet to make any progress. But, it had still been less than two weeks, and Steve knew that any case as cold as this would need patience, at first. Clint and Natasha were making enquiries as discreetly as they could to try to find clues, and waiting for the results was all any of them could do, at least for the moment. He'd been kept up late at night, wondering. Remembering. All the thoughts he'd tried to keep locked away since he was brought out of the ice, all the memories of the days he'd lost. His closest friend since childhood, practically a brother to him, Bucky Barnes. The one who had always been there for him, even when he had nothing else. "I'm with you to the end of the line," they'd said but the end had come too soon, for Bucky. He had watched that man fall to his death, and there had been nothing he could do about it. And now, the thought that he could still be out there after all? That he was to rescue his best friend all over again? He couldn't dare fully believe it, but the hope burned within him nonetheless.</p>
<p>It was Saturday, and Steve needed a breath of fresh air. He left early in the morning, keeping a low profile as he jogged across the town. Within a few hours, he found himself approaching a museum, where there was a history exhibit all about him and his allies in the war. He didn't really think it would help to go in, but he did anyway. Making sure no-one had recognised him, he wandered through the building, soon finding the display all about Bucky. He stood some distance away, not really reading any of the information. He made sure to stay behind most of the crowds that gathered there, most of whom moved on after less than a minute.</p>
<p>Soon, he noticed that there was one other individual staying at the display for quite a while. A young woman, wearing a denim jacket over a simple orange dress, and brown knee-high boots, with long blonde hair that reached well past her waist, a little of which was tied back by a large red bow. (He wasn't sure where he had seen that hairstyle before. Maybe it was a new trend. It didn't matter.) She stood near the front of the crowds but out of the way, and seemed to be either intently reading the information, or deep in thought. Possibly both. After a while, she sighed and muttered something about wasting time, then turned to leave. As she did so, she happened to look in his direction, and quite obviously recognised him immediately. He worried for a moment that she would draw attention, but she quickly looked down and rushed away.</p>
<p>Later that day, he found himself wandering through a very familiar area. The whole city had changed so much over the years, but he still recognised the streets near where he grew up. He wasn't expecting anything to happen, then and there...</p><hr/>
<p>He didn't know where he was. He could barely remember anything at all, it was all a blur. All he knew was that he had been lucky, and that if he wanted to escape he had to keep running. The dark streets and back alleys blended together, he ran as if in a nightmare, impossibly fast but getting nowhere. It hurt to even think about trying to remember anything, at least anything recent. But there was something familiar about his location, he knew these streets, didn't he? Did he? Was he running in circles? He leapt over another wall, only to come face to face with the three men in dark suits, agents, who had chased him all the way from...</p>
<p>Disoriented, he was almost caught. The three converged on him with ruthless efficiency, and despite his superior strength and speed, he was only able to throw off one of them. He slammed the other two into the wall behind him, but only one of them lost his grip. The last one held him in a choke hold, and the first began to get up, reaching for a small weapon of some kind...</p>
<p>"Hey! What's going on here?!" A voice echoed from the end of the alley, and it was somehow the best thing he'd ever heard.</p>
<p>One of the three agents turned his attention to the newcomer, rushing towards him with no warning, but he was prepared. He sidestepped the attack and tossed the agent backwards, knocking him out. The second one rushed towards him...</p>
<p>The one holding the confused man was distracted, his grip loosened. He reached back with his metal arm and grabbed the agent's neck, slamming his face into the wall and then tossing him away, as the last agent was defeated by whoever had come to help.</p>
<p>"Thanks," he muttered, leaning against the wall on his metal arm, scraping the bricks slightly. His hair fell in front of his face, and the area wasn't very well lit.</p>
<p>"Why were those guys attacking you, anyway?" The voice was so familiar, and he just knew it was one he could trust.</p>
<p>"Wish I knew," he scoffed. "Memory's... a blur..." He steadied his breathing and stood up straight, directly facing his rescuer for the first time, who gasped slightly at the sight of his face.</p>
<p>"...Bucky?"</p>
<p>"Who the..." But even as the obvious question formed, it was answered in his mind. He was Bucky. And the one standing in front of him, the face and voice he'd known for years... "Steve?"</p>
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